Agricultural mechaniza0on: present meets future!

27 th Members Mee2ng of the Club of Bologna Agricultural mechaniza0on: present meets future! 12-13 November 2017 Hannover, Germany A case study: ground yarding opera2ons in mountainous terrain Raffaele Cavalli raffaele.cavalli@unipd.it Dzhamal Amishev - dzhamal.amishev@fpinnovahons.ca

Mountain forests The world s mountain areas cover 24% of the Earth s surface Mountain forests cover over 9 Mkm 2 of the Earth s surface Mountain forests represent a remarkable 23% of the Earth s forest cover

Mountain forests Mountain forests

Mountain forests Mountain forests Ecosystem services

Mountain forests Mountain forests Ecosystem services Provisioning services Supporting services Cultural services

Mountain forests Mountain forests Ecosystem services Provisioning services Supporting services Cultural services Forest management systems

Mountain forests Mountain forests Ecosystem services Provisioning services Supporting services Cultural services Forest management systems Forest operations

Steep-slope harvesting operations in mountain forests World forest industry is facing challenges in accessing wood fibre on steep terrain Up to now harvesting systems such as hand felling, cable yarding, and helicopter have been used but these options in some cases are expensive and much hazardous New steep-slope harvesting machines with specialized undercarriages and carriers have been shown to safely access and operate on terrain up to 70% slope

Steep-slope harvesting operations in mountain forests Traction devices and undercarriage Wheel with chains and band tracks Ground steepness (%) Harvesting Skidding Forwarding 35-45 35-45 30-35 Triangular tracks 50-70 n.c. n.c. Integral tracks 45-60 45-55 35-45 Walking carriers (e.g. Menzi Muck) Ground carriage (e.g. Konrad Pully) 60-80 n.c. n.c. n.c. 80-100 n.c.

Steep-slope harvesting operations in mountain forests Slope is not the only limiting factor, modern fully mechanised ground-based systems have always been limited by other terrain factors as well such as soil strength and/or roughness 90% 60% Extreme area Slope 30% 0% Critical area Optimal area Visser and Stampfer, 2015 (adapted) Low Soil bearing capacity High

Winch-assist systems - Principles One way to improve traction and stability on steep slopes is through assisting harvesting machines by winch and cable to anchor locations such as tree stumps or stationary equipment Terms such as winch-assist, traction-assist, cable-assist and tethering all refer to technology that helps a harvesting machine climb a steep slope Machines are not suspended from the cables and primary (assisted) machines should be able to stop in full control at all times without reliance on the cable

Winch-assist systems Design options Integrated winch systems Winches are built into or bolted onto the primary (assisted) machines The category includes most European-type traction-assist systems and the New Zealandmade ClimbMAX

Winch-assist systems Design options Anchor machine winch systems Dedicated anchor machines are used to house and power winches that are tethered to primary (assisted) machines The category includes the Remote Operated Bulldozer (ROB), EMS Tractionline, T-Mar Rhino, EcoForst T-Winch and HAAS Three Point Winch

Winch-assist systems Design options Anchor machine winch systems Bulldozers Have a sturdy base with low center of gravity and great stability for anchoring once positioned with the blade buried into the ground or against a stump The cable is positioned close to the ground which reduces the risk of tipping and potentially allows a wider operating angle for the primary (assisted) machine

Winch-assist systems Design options Anchor machine winch systems Excavators Are agile and can pull themselves up slopes using their buckets improving access to anchor positions They can turn and position on narrow roads Are versatile regarding tasks they can be used for (hoe-chucking, loading, roadbuilding) Excavator buckets could penetrate frozen ground easier than a bulldozer blade

Winch-assist systems Design options Anchor machine winch systems Purpose-Built Systems They are unmanned so workers are not exposed to danger when operating on hazardous terrain Smaller size and weight allows for easier transportation and repositioning. Can be secured additionally using guyline winch ropes or synthetic belts Operator of the primary (assisted) machine can reposition and set up the anchor machine without leaving the cab

Winch-assist systems Design options Anchor machine winch systems Tractor Based Systems They are unmanned so workers are not exposed to danger when operating on hazardous terrain Mobility of the tractor allows for easier transportation and repositioning. Tractor can be secured additionally using guyline winch ropes or synthetic belts

Winch-assist systems - Factory solutions Factory solutions to accommodate winch-assist systems

Winch-assist systems - Factory solutions Factory solutions to accommodate winch-assist systems Operator station enhancements in the primary (assisted) machine front escape hatch for improved steep slope safety four-point seat belt operator comfort and support while operating on steep slopes Enhanced engine and hydraulics system (reservoirs, oil tanks, sumps) grade capabilities designed for continuous 100% grade operation and intermittent 125% grade operation

Winch-assist systems - Benefit Safety Exposure to hazards is greatly reduced and the number of workers required for the same amount of harvested volume is substantially lowered Productivity Productivity gains are usually achieved when properly planned and laid out for winchassist implementation In addition previously non-economical stands could be viable for harvesting

Winch-assist systems - Benefit Adaptivity Quality Delivered product quality Environmental performance quality Mechanized felling and bunching provides for better directional felling and reduced tangling and breakage Track spinning and soil disturbance (even on moderate terrain) is reduced to a minimum Yarding from bunched piles results in less breakage and operator effort

Winch-assist systems - Benefit Adaptivity Worker attraction and retention Improved working methods, confortable and protected ergonomic working places would require less effort and result in less fatigue and stress As result attracting younger workers to consider a career in forestry harvesting and retaining such workers would be enhanced

Winch-assist systems - Benefit Adaptivity Versatility Winch-assist technology can be used in a variety of equipment configurations that fit a contractor s suite of equipment, terrain type, piece size, labour availability Sustainability Reduced breakage during mechanized directional felling and better tree and log positioning for yarder extraction will contribute to higher stand utilization and value recovery The possibility of on-site delimbing and processing will result in less road side debris disposal and minimizing the need to remove piles

Winch-assist systems Safety measures International developments in safety measures for winch-assist technology Rules, approved codes of practice, best practice guidelines Equipment manufacturers designs Research focus Holzleitner et al., 2017

Remote control and teleoperation An integrated approach must be developed for conducting productive and injuryfree mechanical harvesting operations on steep slopes that draws on the skills and accountabilities of the working team Shifting the paradigm No foot on the ground No hand on the timber No man in the machine No hand on the handles

Remote control Remote control Advantages removing the operator from hazards providing options for getting the primary (assisted) machine out of a difficult situation Disadvantages reduced productivity and operator ergonomic comfort level in order to maintain line of site Milliken and Wood, 2016

Teleoperation Teleoperation Extends the concept of remote control even further where a primary (assisted) machine is controlled by an operator at a remote location (no line of sight) with the use of cameras, sensors, and possibly additional positioning software Milliken and Wood, 2016

Teleoperation Teleoperation Is a difficult problem, primarily due to the unstructured and uncontrolled environment in which forestry harvesting takes place

Teleoperation Primary (assisted) machine

Teleoperation Primary (assisted) machine in the forest it moves slowly enough that the operator could work out of the machine dynamics in real time

Teleoperation Primary (assisted) machine in the forest it moves slowly enough that the operator could work out of the machine dynamics in real time manoeuvring the machine s crane or boom can be controlled manually or in semiautonomous way the repetitiveness of the hydraulic rams movements of the machine s crane or boom can be easily modelled and then automatized devices capable of identifying the position, size and orientation of trees and other obstacles in the forest are under development Billingslay, 2008; Westenberg and Shiriaev, 2013

Teleoperation Teleoperation Benefits improved safety and comfort of the operator improved operator s productivity enhancement of operator s skills through the implementation of interfaces and algorithms redesign of the primary (assisted) machine for maximal productivity and minimal building Intelligent Off-Road Vehicles Umeå University, Umeå Sweden

Teleoperation The implementation of teleoperated, semi-autonomous and fully autonomous forestry equipment, in conjunction with constantly improving winch-assist technology, will provide a platform for safely extending the range of groundbased equipment to previously infeasible terrain conditions Intelligent Off-Road Vehicles Umeå University, Umeå Sweden

Thank you for your attention raffaele.cavalli@unipd.it dzhamal.amishev@fpinnovations.ca